Means for attaching artificial teeth to plates.



No. 781,168. PATENTED'JAN. 31, 1905.

J. B. WELLS. MEANS FORATTAUHING ARTIFICIAL TEETH T0 PLATES.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 4. 1904.

1' NVE/VTOR Alfomey UNITED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. WELLS, OF MORRIS, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 781,168, dated January 31, 1905.

Application filed May 4, 1904. Serial No. 206,401.

To all, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs B. VVELLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morris, in the county of Otsego and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for AttachingArtificial Teeth to Plates; and 1 do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dental appliances; and the object of the invention is to produce a simple and efficient means for replacing broken teeth in artificial plates without the necessity of revulcanizing the latter; and the invention comprises a' metallic fastening which is adapted to be held by means of the usual pins, which are baked with or otherwise secured to artificial teeth and securely anchored to the plate by any suitable material.

The invention consists, further, invarious details of construction and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter fully vdescribed and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application, and in which Figure l is a bottom plan view of a plate, showing two teeth which have been replaced and secured to the plate by means of my improved fastening devices. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the plate, showing the fastening anchored thereto. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective detail view of a tooth with my improved fastening-plate secured thereto. Fig. 4. is a detail view of an ordinary tooth carrying pivot-pins, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the fastening device.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A represents a'dental plate in which two of the teeth have been broken out and replaced by new teeth held in position by means of my improved fastening device.

B designates a tooth to be replaced in one of the recesses A, which are cut in the plate, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and said tooth B is provided with the usual pins O, which may be either baked with the tooth or securedthereto in any suitable manner, but securely anchored to the tooth.

D designates an angled strip of metal which may be of any suitable material found best adapted for the purpose, and is bent at right angles at the points D and D One angled end has oppositely-disposed concaved recesses (Z, as shown clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings, which are adapted to be positioned adjacent to the pins O and afford means whereby the pins may be bent over, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to securely hold said strip to the tooth. When the strip is engaged by the pins, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the strip contacts with the shoulder B of the tooth. while the face of the angled end having two recesses is securely clamped against the upright rear wall of the tooth. Said strip having been securely anchored to the tooth-in the manner shown and described, a hole a is drilled into the plate from the recess A and of such depth as to receive the free angled end of the strip D, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and any suitable cement or other material may be utilized to anchor said end of the strip securely to the plate. The marginal wall of the recess A is preferably cut away in order to allow the end of the tooth to be securely held to the plate, after which the recess A is preferably filled with any suitable cement, such as celluloid or rubber, and the tooth will be securely anchored to the plate.

By the provision of the means which I have shown and described it will be observed that a tooth may be readily replaced in a plate and as securely held thereto as the original and without the necessity of revulcanizing the plate, which is commonly necessary in the art in repair-work, and which vulcanizing-work tends to render the plate brittle and necessitates a considerable amount of work and time.

While I have shown a particular detailed therein, one angled end of which has recesses construction of fastening device embodying on its opposite edges adapted to be engaged the features of myinvention, it Will be underby said pins, a recessed plate engaged by the stood that I may vary the same, if desired, other angled end of said strip, and means for 5 5 Without departing from the spirit of the infastening said strip to the plate, as set forth.

vention. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my Having thus fully described my invention, signature in presence of tWo Witnesses. What I claim as new, and desire to secure by JAMES B. \VELLS. Letters Patent, is WVitnesses: 10 In combination With a tooth having pins an- A. L. HOUG'H,

chored thereto, a strip having tWo angles FRANKLIN H. HOUGH 

